Soren's Reign
by Black Lotus Flower
Summary: Reunited with his mother at last, Soren must confront his lineage and fullfill his fate of being king of Goldoa
1. Chapter 1

**Well, here's another story from me. The idea for this one actually came to me in a dream. As would be expected, I'm not going to write EXACTLY what I dreamt about (that would make no sense to anyone) considering there were parts where the characters either interacted with one another oddly or did things completely irrelevant to what little plot was presented (basic dream stuff). But this is based off of that weird dream so thank the realm of my unconscious mind if you like it and if you don't, well, it takes complaints, too. As always, please R&R!**

_**Prologue**_

Two years have passed since the war against the goddess. Tellius again enjoys an era of peace, where laguz and beorc alike continue their struggle to peacefully co-exist. But this time, the struggle is not in vain. The countries seek a unity of which they are not willing to rest until is reached. Goldoa, land of the dragons, has also been asked to let down its guard and welcome an age where all people live among one another without suspicion or prejudice. But a country that has for so long shunned outsiders does not easily and without contempt abolish its borders. The country splits itself in half, feuding over whether or not to tear down the mighty mountains that surround them and to stop apprehending the sailors that come to close to their lands, or to continue just as they have always been.

Kurthnaga, king of the dragons, has fallen ill. His condition left him bedridden and unable to guide his people. Without a strong leader to direct them, the dragons of Goldoa will erupt into civil war.

_**Chapter 1**_

"Can you come up with any more plans? I don't think we should cut spending on weapons." Ike sat at the end of a large table in the mess hall, arms folded and legs crossed. On each of his sides sat his young tactician and Titania. His countenance showed displeasure which Soren met with a slight huff.

"There isn't anywhere else we can spend less on. What else can we do? We need to eat. The more clumsy members of the group will just have to take more care not to break their weapons."

Titania grinned softly, ignoring the tension to try to break it with a little humor. "Though I don't think there's anything we can do to get Boyd to be less reckless."

"I think Boyd alone is taking up half of our finances…" Ike sighed.

"What about me?" The door opened and the warrior stood in the entrance, leaning on the archway, arms akimbo. Despite his angry stance his face displayed characteristics of a less serious manner. His mouth arched upwards into a smile with his head atilt. "Not my fault those axes are always so poorly crafted. Maybe if they could handle a little action…."

"Boyd, the last one you broke by slamming it off of a rock." Titania chided.

"And man, was that one mighty hard rock!"

"We're in the middle of something. Must this be done now?" The annoyance quickly flooded the sages face, his right hand gripping the book tighter.

"I did come here for a reason. Trust me, I have better things to do than to listen to you three talk. Remember Lady Almedha from the war?"

"Yeah." Ike answered bluntly. "What about her?"

"She's here."

A look of confusing swept across their faces. Ike stood up, quickly shaking it off. "All right. I'll go talk to her."

"Actually…" Boyd turned towards the raven haired tactician. "She wants to speak to Soren."

"What would she want with me?" His eyes narrowed to slits. "I have other matters to attend to. Ike, you should be the one to talk to her. No doubt that she needs us for something. Such affairs should be addressed to the commander."

"No, she was very clear that she wanted you. She didn't say why but she didn't mention Ike at all." The warrior shrugged. "She's waiting by the gates. She looked a little upset so I wouldn't keep her waiting too long." He walked out, leaving the door open behind him.

"Well, Soren, it looks like you have a visitor. Ike and I will wait here until you get back. The meeting can wait until later." The paladin urged, waiting for him to get up.

"Humph." He slid his chair under the table, exiting the mess hall in utter silence.

"_What could she possibly want with me_?" He thought as he walked. "_We hadn't even spoken, except for that one time, and it was such a short exchange_." "Typical sub-human." He muttered as she came into view.

"Soren…." She said weakly, at first lunging forward as if to touch him, then pulling back. Her mouth delicately gaped, but only a short distance. Deep brown eyes flooded into puddles on a saddened canvas.

"What is it that you want?" He asked curtly, showing no response to her emotion. "We're in the middle of a meeting that I should be getting back to. If this is a mission request, please talk to our commander. If not, I would ask that you make it quick."

"My son…."

"Excuse me?" Even the typically calm staff sergeant was taken back by her remark.

"It has been so long… Two years now since I saw you last when we all parted ways after the war."

"I suppose it has been a short while. Though for a dragon such a length should seem like not even a day."

"When a mother is separated from her child it seems like an eternity."

"I'm afraid that you are making no sense. I cannot help you if I fail to understand the point that you are trying to make."

"I should have told you the moment that I realized it but… you had found your own path and had grown so strong…I felt that it would have been wrong of me to disrupt what you made for yourself. But now I have no choice…"

He cringed with discomfort, his brow arching sternly. "If you would excuse me… I'm not the right person to be speaking to about these matters. Good day." He began to turn away but was halted by Almedha's cries. Something about them made even someone as cold as Soren heed them.

"Wait! Soren, I'm your mother!"

He kept his back to her, his shoulders notably tensing. "Idiotic woman! Do not play games with me!"

"It's true! I thought my child was Pelleas, but…he told me that his mark came from a pact he made with the spirits. Your forehead…"

Then he did turn around, irritation reflecting in his voice and his face. "Just because I have a mark does not mean that we are in any way related. Whatever it is you are trying to get by doing this, go about it in a different way."

"You are my son… I haven't lost my birth right entirely. I can still recognize my own child… When I first called out to you, I knew."

"What proof do you have?" He sneered. "This is another mistake. Just like the first time, you're wrong. How would the child of a great dragon end up in Gallia? Considering that, there is no way I could ever be your son. Now I need to be going."

"You are ." She persisted. "I was separated from you when you were just a baby…I didn't know where they had taken you. But even your appearance. Your hair color matches mine, your complexion is your father's…"

"Pale skin and dark hair often go hand in hand. It doesn't prove lineage."

"Red eyes."

"Pardon?" His face softened into a look of confusion.

"Red eyes. You know that you didn't inherit that from your beorc parent. So it must have been the laguz in you. Dragons are the only clan that have members with red eyes. Is that accurate proof?"

He scowled, finally continuing to walk. "I've heard enough of this. I need to go back to work."

She closed her eyes, sighing. "Then please tell General Ike that I need to speak with him. It's urgent."

**I wanted to make Soren more emotional but...it's Soren, so I just made him not believe her. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **

**First, I want to thank everyone who reviewed and added this to favorites. I really appreciate your interest. Well, I'm sure you don't want me to babble in an author's note. I'll save that for the end. And…chapter 2!**

"Soren?" Ike spoke as he opened the door of the barrack that he shared with the young tactician. The sage turned his head around, momentarily allowing himself to be distracted from the mass of papers that lay scattered on the desk in front of him. He repositioned himself so that he could still shift through his work while being attentive to his commander, the chair turning slightly at a diagonal and squeaking against the floors as he did.

"Oh, Ike. I would have thought you would be sparring with Boyd or Mia." His brow arched, showing a minute annoyance at the interruption. Still, it was Ike. The aggravation was short and fleeting.

"We need to talk." He leaned against the wall, crossing his left leg over his right one.

"Hm? What about?"

"Almedha spoke with me."

"Better you than me. I hope she had come to her senses more by the time that she met with you."

"And what if she was right?" Ike asked bluntly, expecting his staff sergeant's response to be less than pleasant.

"Peh!" He turned his chair back around, continuing to sort through and read the papers. His eyes transfixed themselves strictly to one spot. His disinterest in Ike's comment was an obvious thing as he pretended to be busy. But the other man saw through it.

"It is a possibility."

"What? Because one of my parents was a sub-human?" His eyes narrowed to slits. "There are many of those on the planet. And she also thought Pelleas was her son. In the end, she was wrong, just as she is this time."

"Her story fits. Your eyes are the color of the dragon clan. That's something to consider."

"I'm branded, Ike. There are no logical explanations for atrocities." He glared coldly at the paper work, still holding his composure.

"You are who you are and there's nothing wrong with that. But you still came from somewhere. What she says makes sense. You should listen to her. She needs the help of her son."

"And it isn't me."

"What if you are?"

"Then why should I help her?" He yelled in a strained manner, his back jolting into a straighter posture. He sighed in disapproval of his own action, then slumped into a more relaxed position. "Even if what she's saying is true, I don't owe her anything. That would mean she cast me aside and was the reason I had to suffer through that wizard and Gallia. Let her deal with her own problems. I have the company's to attend to."

"I think you might be interested in what she has to offer. It's better than what this company ever could."

"This is where I belong." He said at once, believing it after such a long period of doubt. "What job could she possibly offer me that would change that?"

"Soren." Ike said sternly, his voice booming to catch the young tactician's attention. "She wants you to go with her to Goldoa. They need someone to take the role of king."

The sage turned his head to face his commander, his body tensing and his face strained from attempting to hide the shock. Still, his eyes grew large, uncontrolled from the natural reaction. "King…of Goldoa?" He asked incredulously, his eyes slinking back into their usual position of indifference. He chuckled quietly, smirking. "Now she's proven that she's a loon. Why would Goldoa take a branded for their king? I find it hard to believe that Kurthnaga was that incompetent."

"Kurthnaga is ill." Ike stated bluntly. "If you are indeed Almedha's son, that makes you the next heir."

"Ill people can get better, Ike. Countries don't look for new kings just because their current one is running something of a fever."

"From what Almedha said, he's been ill for quite some time now. Ever since the war ended. He's been unable to get out of bed even."

"So I suppose he hasn't been able to keep up with his work. Still, they wouldn't come to me for such a thing. One of the counsel members would take over."

"Goldoa's in too much of a riot." Almedha stood in the doorway, head bowed and voice quiet.

"Almedha?" was Ike's awkward greeting to her.

"I apologize if I am interrupting, but the door was open so…." She paused.

"It's fine." He assured her.

"If you must insist on the matter…" Soren cut to the point. "why me?"

"My brother has been ill for a while. His condition leaves him unable to rule the country. Goldoa's people are split between the controversy of whether or not to finally allow outsiders into our country and it has gotten so bad that they have even began to fight over it. We need a strong king to unite our people."

Soren furrowed his brow. "So I take it that the counsel is divided also and therefore is unable to elect a representative."

She nodded solemnly. "That is correct."

"And you think bringing in someone such as myself, a foreigner, one of a different species, and a person who knew nothing of these events until you relayed themis a prospect for bringing peace to your nation?"

"You are my son and the next heir. Kurthnaga is unable to perform his duties so the title rightfully goes to you. There is nothing that anyone can say against it. It is tradition."

"Then if tradition is of such importance, wouldn't the title go to you? Let us assume for a minute that you're right and I am your son. For me to have any right to the throne you would have to as well. Since you are alive and have a higher standing in the family than I, the throne would be yours and it would not concern me in the least."

"I lost all right to the throne the minute I abandoned my country. But you have done no such thing. Because of that, there is no reason why you wouldn't be able to accept the position.'

His mouth turned upward into a small, almost evil grin. "Except that I have no interest in it what-so-ever. Goldoa can fall for all I care. It is not my concern."

"Soren!" Ike scolded from against the wall.

"We have our own matters to attend to. This debt needs to be solved first and foremost. The good of the company is my primary concern." He turned away yet again, refocusing his attention on the papers before him. Almedha threw a large, bear skin satchel on front of him. It landed on the table with a loud clang. He eyed it, recognizing it as a large sum of gold, then looked back towards her. "What is this for?"

"If debt is your concern then I will take care of it." She answered. "In that bag is 70,000 gold. I can guarantee that is more than what a year's amount of work would pay. I'll give it to you if you do so much as to come back with me to Goldoa."

He tilted his head suspiciously. "You're willing to pay that much for me to visit Goldoa and come back to Crimea?"

"Yes."

"What an idiotic proposal."

"The deal is highly in your favor. I'll even pay for the company's passage to Goldoa, for supplies used on the trip there… anything while you're with me. Ultimately, I am paying you to escort me."

"Were I able to find logic in your proposition I would be more cynical but at the moment it seems like too good of a deal to pass up. Ike?" He looked to the leader for a final seal of approval.

"Seems like a good deal to me. Don't know why you would want to pay us that much for a simple escorting mission, but the choice is yours."

"I'm hoping that once Soren sees Goldoa he will choose to stay."

The raven haired man sorted the papers into a pile and set them in the lowest drawer, closing it. He stood up, facing her, his eyes as piercing and cold as ever as he displayed his typical glare of superiority. "I assure you, my mind will not change."

"My dear child…" She grinned, almost taking pleasure in his confidence. "Do not be so sure of anything."

**Sorry. I know not much has happened yet. It'll pick up once they actually get to Goldoa. I want to thank those who have reviewed and please, please, please, people who read this and haven't, please review! Everyone likes to get comments on something after they've worked on it. This is no exception. The more reviews, the quicker I'll update. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Also, because I forgot to add this in as an A/N at the last chapter, anyone have any preferences for characters? I want to write some new stories, but I'm looking for suggestions. I'm especially looking to write some angst soon, so without suggestions I'll probably torture Lucius, Joshua, or Erk. These just seem like good choices to me.

So if anyone has any characters they're looking to read stories on, I'm looking for suggestions!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

**First, I want to thank everyone so much for reviewing! Because they need to get to Goldoa and I have to put at least one chapter about their travels, this one probably won't be action packed, but I'll do my best to give it a more dramatic effect, or at least as much as I can using Soren. Here's hoping I do well…**

"Soren?" Ike leaned over the sage's bed, trying to read his sullen face. The young man grunted once, then buried his face deeper into the pillow. "You haven't gotten up all day."

"I'm not fond of boats." He gripped a handful of the blankets tighter.

They had been at sea for only three days and the voyage was a long one. Soren had remained in bed for the majority of their travels to that point, barely speaking and only eating when heavily provoked by his commander. Still he lied there, wrapped in a cocoon of sheets with eyes fixed blankly on the wall only several inches away from his face.

"You should try to move around some. It would make you feel better." Ike suggested, turning away.

"Ike, do you think we look alike?" The question came spontaneously without any real explanation.

"You and I?" The commander seemed puzzled. "I suppose we share the same likeness that we're both beorc, but otherwise…"

"Not us." Soren interrupted flatly. "That sub-human woman and I. As much as I don't like to admit it, we share a resemblance…"

"I can see it. You said it like it was a bad thing."

"Of course it's bad! To be an abomination is bad enough, but to be an abomination born to that woman?"

"Soren, she's a princess."

"That's what makes it worse. I was so little to her that she could send me away from the country. I was the same to her as I was to all the others…an abomination."

"If that's how she felt then she wouldn't be here now." He watched his staff sergeant intently, waiting for a sign of emotion that failed to come. With a sigh he leaned against the wall.

"Because she needs something now and she's alone. I owe her nothing. I'm contented where I am."

"I would hardly call you happy."

"Happiness isn't a necessity."

"You could at least speak to her about it. I'm sure there's a reason she did what she did."

"The last thing I want to do right now is listen to her incessant babbling. We're doing what she's paying us for. The rest is solely her affairs."

"Even still…if you two are related, that would make Kurthnaga your uncle. He's a friend from the war and possibly your family. Shouldn't we help him if he's in trouble?"

"Friend? I would hardly call him that. What did he do to earn such a title? We were allies. There's a difference. And my family? The only family I knew as I child was that hag that took care of me, that wizard and that tree I slept under… Even if we share a blood relation, I still don't owe him anything."

"He came to our aid. Now we should do the same for him." Ike protested, feeling his arguments gaining no ground though he was in charge.

"If that's how you feel, Ike, volunteer yourself to help them. I will gladly assist you but I have no intent of taking the role myself." His left arm twitched as his stomach churned from the rocking of the boat.

Ike thought a moment, trying to think of a more suitable point that would make Soren more willing to cooperate. "I'm sure the position would come with a fair amount of gold."

"The job we've taken on now will provide us with as much as we need to get the company back on its feet. The payment wouldn't be worth what we could potentially lose. If you are suggesting that we take on a role that provides us with a more constant pay, you should see Queen Elincia about again becoming general." The tone of his voice alone stated his mind wasn't about to change.

"I doubt the position would be a permanent one." The commander began to haggle. "Ena gave birth to Prince Rajairon's son. You could pass it on to him once he came of age."

"Their son is a dragon! Ike, do you have any idea how long it takes for dragon's to age? Even with part of my blood being their's, I would be long deceased before he could comprehend what it meant to rule a country."

"Then it has to be you. Who else could? Their pride won't let Almedha."

Soren sneered. "So what makes you think it would allow me? I would be accepting the role as her son, thus if she is shunned so would I be. I'm branded…. I'm…" He grew silent, then stopped speaking altogether.

"Soren?"

"Pelleas' father… it was supposedly Ashnard, correct?"

"Yes. What of it?" Ike answered casually, not seeming to make the connection.

"If I am her son, that would mean I'm also the son of…" His voice became harsher. "I refuse! There's no way they would accept the branded son of a traitor and the man who single handedly almost destroyed the continent! I want nothing to do with the title!"

"Soren…" Ike tried to sympathize. "It's yours by right. There's nothing they could do about it."

"I never said she actually was my mother!" He calmed himself, regaining his typical, blunt manner. "All I said was we looked alike."

**Sorry it's a bit short. Not much for them to do on a boat besides get attacked, but I didn't want to go into an unnecessary battle scene that would be irrelevant to everything else. **


End file.
